Nic Jones wins at Radio 2 folk awards

Musician Nic Jones, whose career appeared to have ended after a car crash in 1982, has won folk singer of the year at BBC Radio 2's folk awards.

Jones, who only returned to live performance last year, thanked his wife, Julia - his "ultimate nurse".

The ceremony, which was held in Scotland for the first time, also honoured Billy Bragg and Roy Harper with lifetime achievement awards.

The 11-piece band Bellowhead won album of the year.

Jones' solo career began in the late 1960s, releasing his first studio album in 1970.

His fifth album, Penguin Eggs, released in 1980, is widely recognised as one of the finest folk albums of all time.

However, in 1982 his career was cut short by a crash, when his car was hit by a lorry near Peterborough.

Rehabilitation

Last year - thirty years on - following a lengthy rehabilitation, he made a number of appearances at festivals, with his son Joe playing the guitar.

On Wednesday, Jones was presented with the singer of the year award at a ceremony in Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall, by actress and musician Clare Grogan.

Speaking to the BBC after the ceremony, the musician from Buckland Monochorum in Devon said it was "fantastic" to be able to play again.

"It makes me emotionally involved," he said, adding: "Some of the songs, I am trying to hold back the tears."

"I'm very lucky because all the nurses and doctors came out and lots of other people - the whole world saved me.

"I was very egotistic as a person but I realised I needed all these other people to help me and they came and put me together again like a jigsaw. They put all the bits together and made me live again," he said.

Jones is expected to play at a selection of forthcoming festivals.

He said he hoped to be able to tour again and write some new material for his fans.

Other winners at the Radio 2 folk awards included the three-piece Scottish band Lau, who were named band of the year.

There were lifetime achievement awards for Shetland fiddler, Aly Bain, Roy Harper - a folk rocker who started out in the 1960s, and Dougie MacLean - who wrote the Scottish anthem Caledonia.

Bragg, known for his political lyrics, was awarded the Roots Award - in recognition of "an outstanding contribution to Folk Music from a Grass Roots level upwards".

Now in their 14th year, the folk awards were hosted by Mark Radcliffe and Julie Fowlis.